Chill Japandi Vibes Rule in This Los Angeles Home

We asked for designer Kirsten Blazek's secrets on making a brand-new house feel extremely homey. Spoiler: It's about keeping things simple.

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July 11, 2023

By: Kassondra Cloos

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Photo By: Michael P.H. Clifford

How to Make a New Build Feel Like Home

You might not guess from looking at it that this Los Angeles home is brand-new, recently rebuilt nearly from the ground up. When designer Kirsten Blazek of firm A1000X Better took on the project for a developer client, it was a 1,000-square-foot bungalow, and they tore down everything but a single wall.

But thanks to clever use of color, texture, angles and vintage décor, this Japandi-style home—mixing Japanese and Scandinavian design vibes—looks warm, inviting and lived-in. We asked her how she designed a house that seems to be shrouded in perpetual golden hour, and how you can add elements of character (like this French pendant light) to a new home when you’re starting from scratch.

A Round Window in the Custom Front Door Softens the Home’s Hard Angles

The front door was custom made to match the cladding on the front of the house, Kirsten says. Because there are so many angles in the design, such as the slanted ceiling, Kirsten looked for opportunities to soften the home with round features like the circular window here.

A Svelte Sliding Door Provides Privacy in an Open-Concept Home

Looking in from the front door, you can see all the way through to the backyard of the house. There, Kirsten’s team designed an ADU—an additional dwelling unit—which can be used as a home office space, an in-law apartment or an opportunity to generate rental income. To the left, a sliding wooden door provides privacy for a suite of two guest bedrooms. It hangs on a custom track hidden behind the door. To the right, you can see into a front sitting area that is a quiet space for reading.

Vintage Furnishings and Rugs Bring Soul Into a Living Room

This sitting room is in the front of the house, to the right when you enter the home. The custom shelves in the corner are cut on an angle to keep them interesting, Kirsten says. Throughout the home, most of the rugs used in the staging were vintage pieces sourced from Blue Parakeet Rugs, which curates century-old pieces. To bring "soul" into a new build, Kirsten says she likes to use as much vintage furniture as possible. "In other rooms, we brought in quirky vintage oil paintings that, typically, people would avoid in a more contemporary, modern house," she says. The light fixture is a three-arm Mouille Ceiling Lamp.

Shop: What's Japandi Design? All About This Trending Style and the Best Pieces to Purchase on Amazon

Modular Furniture Ties Together Large, Open Living Spaces

Kirsten said her team imagined that the buyer for this home would likely be younger, which is part of what inspired the wet bar you see here to the left. They added a plush-looking sofa to soften the home's angles, which also ties together an open-concept living space. This piece is a reproduction of designer Mario Bellini’s Camaleonda Modular Sofa. You can find original Bellini pieces on 1stDibs, an online marketplace for designer furniture.

See More: 40 Stylish Home Bars Squeezed Into Small Spaces

Soft Floral Arrangements Make a House on the Market Feel Lived-In

When these photos were taken, the home was just being put on the market and had never been lived in. Kirsten worked with a stager, Annie Carolin of Pride of Place Design, to meticulously decorate the home. They spared no details, and even made a point to get the good stuff from a flower market in downtown L.A., to add an element of “softness” to the house. This can help a buyer envision what it might actually feel like to live there. “It’s something we’re always cognizant of when styling a new home, is to bring in a lot of florals,” she says. “In this house in particular, we brought in a lot more of the florals that had more of an architectural element to them.”

Learn More: 15 Home-Staging Essentials

Investing in a Well-Decorated Living Room Can Literally Pay Off

Kirsten says she treated the project as if it were for a private residential client—someone designing their own home—rather than thinking of it as a development. “In doing that, we were able to really add a lot of unique elements that stand out,” she says. Ultimately, that attention to detail paid off: The house sold quickly, and went for $600,000 over the asking price, Kirsten says. She and the team at Pride of Place brought this attitude to the staging design, too. This credenza is from Crate and Barrel.

Shop: What's Japandi Design? All About This Trending Style and the Best Pieces to Purchase on Amazon

A Neutral Color Palette Doesn’t Have to Be Boring

The home’s color palette primarily relies on shades of white, beige and black. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t interesting or appealing. Just take this wet bar as an example. The backsplash is made of dimensional tile, and the counter and shelves are marble slab. “There’s a neutrality to everything without it being boring,” Kirsten says. “There was a softness to the whole palette; nothing was in a primary tone. Everything was kind of tonal and soft. So even when we brought in color, it all felt like it worked together, which is something that’s incredibly important to me.”

Small Details Make the Difference When Designing a New Build

Many developers are more interested in building a house quickly than building something truly beautiful. “In general, developers get a bad name for glossing over the finer details of design,” she says. But this client understands the importance of those finer details, and was willing to invest and take risks. Throughout the home, you'll find gorgeous corners like this wet bar crafted from slab shelves against dimensional tile. The space perfectly complements the kitchen without copying the exact design. “Buyers are educated,” Kirsten says. “They can tell the difference between a house that’s been thrown up and one that’s been properly designed.”

See More: 40 Stylish Home Bars Squeezed Into Small Spaces

A Whimsical Pendant Lamp Keeps the Living Room Interesting

Kirsten chose this Vertigo pendant lamp because of its airy vibes. "The ceilings are high in there (the living room), so we wanted to add something that was kind of architecturally interesting but wouldn't block the view or be too heavy," she says.

Shop: What's Japandi Design? All About This Trending Style and the Best Pieces to Purchase on Amazon

Higher Windows Allow for Both Light and Privacy

Because the home has a separate unit in the backyard, which could be used as a rental property, Kirsten's team opted to raise the windows above eye level in the kitchen and dining area. This lets plenty of light into the home without compromising privacy in the event the new homeowner rents the unit to tenants.

A Rounded Island Balances Out an Angular Kitchen

Kirsten’s team opted to make the kitchen island a semi-circle to contrast with the angular nature of the rest of the room. She sees black as a “grounding color,” and chose it here as kind of a “punctuation point” for the room, she says. “There were already a lot of wood tones in there,” she adds, “so we decided to make the island a different color and make it dark as a kind of anchor point for this whole space.”

See More: 60 Black Kitchens We Love

The Range Intentionally Matches the Plumbing

Kirsten wanted the stove to have a “transitional” feel. There are a lot of different types of metals in the kitchen, and she likes that this stainless steel gas range, from Snyder Diamond, matches the finish on the plumbing.

Marble Backsplash and Counters Make a Luxe Kitchen

Open shelving in the kitchen offers both a beautiful and practical space for the homeowner to have easy access to essentials or to display favorite dishes. It's also an opportunity to tie together different spaces of the home that nod to one another. The satin bronze faucet, for example, sourced from California Faucets, is in the same finish as the one at the wet bar.

Texture and Dimension Make This Powder Bathroom Stand Out

Kirsten used a dimensional tile in this powder bathroom that plays along with the slatted millwork on the vanity. Like in other parts of the home, she and her team also played with round elements here to balance out corners. The sink is a concrete basin from Nood Co., which is available in a wide array of colorful finishes.

See More: 30 Beautiful Half Bathroom and Powder Room Ideas We're Loving Now

A Vestibule Separates the Bathroom From the Bedroom

This vestibule area in the principal bedroom suite provides some separation between the bathroom and sleeping area, as well as providing a storage solution. As in other parts of the home, Kirsten's team didn't skip the details when staging this area. It may seem small, but having decor in corners like this—like someone living here probably would—makes the space feel much more lived-in, and can help potential buyers imagine how they'd decorate for themselves. The rug you can see in the bathroom to the left is a vintage piece from Blue Parakeet Rugs.

Learn More: 15 Home-Staging Essentials

Elevating the Tub and Shower Allows for Creative Use of Materials

Originally, Kirsten wanted to have a wooden, Japanese-style soaking tub here on its own platform, but it proved tricky to execute. Instead, her team installed a concrete tub on an elevated platform slightly above the shower, which is also raised from the floor. Kirsten used the various levels to highlight different materials.

See More: Japanese Soaking Tub Designs

Two Guest Bedrooms are Hidden Behind a Sliding Door

Behind that sliding door in the front of the house, you'll find two bedrooms and a bathroom for the suite—a separate wing of sorts. The two bedrooms enjoy privacy from the rest of the open home, separated them from the principal suite. This bright bedroom has generous windows and features a rustic clay pendant light sourced from Etsy.

Soft Wooden Features Add Warmth to the Guest Bedrooms

Both bedrooms in the guest suite feature custom desks with built-in shelving. "With all the door jams and the baseboard trim, everything was clad in wood just to give a softness and warmth to a new-build house," Kirsten says, "versus just having regular trim."

The Two Guest Bedrooms are Mirror Images of Each Other

The two rooms are directly across the hall from one another and are essentially identical mirror images, Kirsten says. While this home is incredibly modern, she typically prefers to work on older homes with a lot of built-in character. So, on this project—and for other new builds—she worked to add layers to the home, which you can see in all the different tones of wood throughout the house.

Custom Desks Are Gorgeous Architectural Features

Each of the two guest bedrooms has a built-in desk with plenty of open shelving for books, trinkets or displaying artwork. While the craftsmanship of today's homes is quite different from those that were built 100 or 200 years ago, Kirsten says, she hopes her designs will stand the test of time, too. "What I want to do is give a beautiful design that feels as authentic to us as it can, for the style of the house, and that is as detailed as the budget will allow," she says. And of course, "that has enough timelessness that it won’t look super dated in 10 or 20 years."

Learn More: 40 Things That Make Your House Look Dated (+ Stylish Swaps to Consider Instead)

A Guest House—or Rental Unit—Behind the House is Just As Luxe

Behind the main home, there's a standalone dwelling complete with its own kitchen, laundry and bathroom. Like the main home, it has custom, high-end finishings throughout. "It was important to us that the ADU was finished to the same standard that the main house was," Kirsten says. "So it's all custom millwork, custom doors. We kept the wood panel ceiling in here, too."

Clever Windows Keep This Space Feeling Private and Personal

Like in the dining room of the main house, this window in the ADU is raised well above eye-level. Along with skylights in the vaulted ceiling, this lets plenty of natural light into the unit without compromising on privacy.

Wood—Including on Floors and Ceiling—Give the ADU Cozy Vibes

The ADU is one of Kirsten's favorite aspects of the whole project. "If I had to live in a small space, this would be a very happy place to be," she says. "It's obviously an open space, and it has tall ceilings, but I think because of the warmth of all the wood tones, there's a coziness to it."

See More: Japandi Style Rules in This Gut-Renovated LA Home

Chill Japandi Vibes Rule in This Los Angeles Home

Related To:

Shop This Look

How to Make a New Build Feel Like Home

A Round Window in the Custom Front Door Softens the Home’s Hard Angles

A Svelte Sliding Door Provides Privacy in an Open-Concept Home

Vintage Furnishings and Rugs Bring Soul Into a Living Room

Modular Furniture Ties Together Large, Open Living Spaces

Soft Floral Arrangements Make a House on the Market Feel Lived-In

Investing in a Well-Decorated Living Room Can Literally Pay Off

A Neutral Color Palette Doesn’t Have to Be Boring

Small Details Make the Difference When Designing a New Build

A Whimsical Pendant Lamp Keeps the Living Room Interesting

Higher Windows Allow for Both Light and Privacy

A Rounded Island Balances Out an Angular Kitchen

The Range Intentionally Matches the Plumbing

Marble Backsplash and Counters Make a Luxe Kitchen

Texture and Dimension Make This Powder Bathroom Stand Out

A Vestibule Separates the Bathroom From the Bedroom

Elevating the Tub and Shower Allows for Creative Use of Materials

Two Guest Bedrooms are Hidden Behind a Sliding Door

Soft Wooden Features Add Warmth to the Guest Bedrooms

The Two Guest Bedrooms are Mirror Images of Each Other

Custom Desks Are Gorgeous Architectural Features

A Guest House—or Rental Unit—Behind the House is Just As Luxe

Clever Windows Keep This Space Feeling Private and Personal

Wood—Including on Floors and Ceiling—Give the ADU Cozy Vibes

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